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Make fashion circular – Say no to Fast Fashion

Clothing is a necessity and for many a way of expressing ourselves and boosting confidence, yet the process of making them is extremely wasteful and polluting. The production of these textiles itself, whether they’re synthetic or natural, is also causing harm. Kay Politowicz, Professor of Textile Design at the University of the Arts in London, says “The increasing consumption of textiles for clothing is causing the biggest textiles impact on the environment” . The fashion industry depends on oil and gas and consumes enormous amounts of water, contributing to vast mountains of waste.

The life cycle of clothes we wear and buy is something most of us take for granted – right from the supply chain as to who makes them, where and how and where they end up after use.

This video from Ellen MacArthur Foundation explains the problem caused and the idea of circular fashion in a nutshell.

“Plastic from a variety of products –  carpet, clothing, packaging – are showing up in our tap and bottled water and even our beer. ”

Say no to fast fashion

Here are some points to highlight the impact of fast fashion which is surely not Ethical 

  • 100 billion garments are produced every year globally
  • The average number of ‘wears’ per garment a person owns is just 4
  • The fashion industry is the fifth most polluting in the world
  • 100 million tonnes of non-renewables are used every year in the fashion industry globally
  • 65% of clothes use polyester – and this contains micro plastics, which are shed when clothes are washed
  • Half a million tonnes – equivalent to 50 billion plastic bottles – of plastic microfibers from washing garments ends up in the ocean every year on average, which in turn enters the food chain
  • Extending the life of a garment by 3 months can reduce its carbon footprint by 5-10%
  • Charity shops reduce the UK carbon footprint by 3.7 million tonnes a year
Impact of clothing industry

Lot of companies and charities are working to try and combat this

1) If doing a wardrobe clear out, use Traid who offer a free home collection service. Similarly you can donate to charity shops or use the recycle services from retailers, such as John Lewis and M&S.

2)  Fashion Revolution’s ‘Who Made My Clothes?’ social media campaign tries to ask our brands to be transparent about the supply chain

  • How much are the workers along the supply chain paid?
  • Was this produced in a work environment free from all forms of abuse, unhealthy and unsanitary conditions?
  • Do their work hours allow for a good work/life balance?
  • Are the workers there of their own free will?
  • Which type and quality material is being used?
  • Does the dye pollute water?
  • What are the other effects of producing this piece of clothing on the environment?
  • How far has this item travelled along its’ supply chain?
  • Where have each of these materials been sourced from?

3) Sustainability Savvy have come up with 7 Steps to building a More Sustainable Wardrobe

4) Do not succumb to impulse buying – Always ask these 10 questions before you make a purchase

5) Greenpeace’s high-profile campaign “Dirty Laundry,” which has called on some of the largest clothing brands to commit to eliminating hazardous chemicals in their supply chains, has spurred Adidas to begin talks with rivals Nike and Puma (among others) to establish an industry-wide initiative to develop an integrated chemical management program.

6) Clothing labels like M&S, Levis and P&G are encouraging customers to wash at lower temperatures.

7) The recent Fashion Futures project at Britain’s Forum for the Future envisioned what fashion will be like in the year 2025, in conjunction with their call for a more sustainable fashion industry

 

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Consultation on extending controls on single use plastic bags

This proposes to extend the single use carrier bag charge in England to all retailers, and also proposes to increase the minimum charge to 10p.

DEFRA wants to know if people agree with their assessment of the costs and benefits of these proposals and how the impacts of change will be measured.

this consultation is open until 22nd February on  https://consult.defra.gov.uk/environmental-quality/extending-the-single-use-bags-charge/

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Consultation on protecting trees and woodland

DEFRA proposes  four new measures designed to increase transparency and accountability in the process of felling street trees and to strengthen the Forestry Commission’s power to tackle illegal tree felling.

Two of the measures introduce new duties on local authorities: a duty to consult on the felling of street trees and a duty to report on tree felling and replanting.

A third policy suggests the production of best practice guidance to support local authorities in drawing up, consulting on and publishing a Tree and Woodland Strategy.

The fourth measure is intended to give the Forestry Commission more powers to tackle illegal tree felling and strengthen protection of wooded landscapes.  

This consultation seeks views on these measures and their implementation and is open until 28th February

https://consult.defra.gov.uk/forestry/protecting-trees-and-woodlands/

If you don’t want to read the whole document, then perhaps make representations through the woodland trust website that has a suggested set of responses to some of the issues  https://campaigns.woodlandtrust.org.uk/page/36795/action/1?utm_campaign=2282329_B04_12624_Jan19Campaigning_190115&utm_medium=email&utm_source=woodlandtrust&dm_i=2D76,1CX21,8ZNDLA,4G981,1

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31 Jan: Presenting Reading Climate Change Strategy

Chris Beales (RCCP Chair) and Ben Burfoot (RBC Sustainability Manager) will present the Reading Climate Change Strategy, and discuss plans to adapt to the changing climate and to reduce our carbon footprint. These are hugely important challenges for our town and will be big factors in shaping the Reading 2050 vision.

Station Road, Reading

 

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The Circular Economy – Amsterdam rethinking progress for a better future

Circular economy

Overview

Looking beyond the current take-make-dispose Linear extractive industrial model, a circular economy aims to redefine growth, focusing on positive society-wide benefits. It entails gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources, and designing waste out of the system. Underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources, the circular model builds economic, natural, and social capital. It is based on three principles:

  • Design out waste and pollution
  • Keep products and materials in use
  • Regenerate natural systems
Circular jobs, Renewable energy
Circular Ecosystem

 

In broader terms, the circular approach is a framework that takes insights from living systems. It considers that our systems should work like organisms, processing nutrients that can be fed back into the cycle—whether biological or technical—hence the “closed loop” or “regenerative” terms usually associated with it.

The Ellen Macarthur Foundation has detailed the Circular economy via a very beautiful video.

Circular economy schools of thought

The circular economy model synthesises several major schools of thought. They include the functional service economy (performance economy) of Walter Stahel; the Cradle to Cradle design philosophy of William McDonough and Michael Braungart; biomimicry as articulated by Janine Benyus; the industrial ecology of Reid Lifset and Thomas Graedel; natural capitalism by Amory and Hunter Lovins and Paul Hawken; and the blue economy systems approach described by Gunter Pauli.

Amsterdam to be fully circular by 2050

Building upon the Dutch national strategy, Amsterdam has committed to becoming fully circular by 2050. It has started the journey to become a circular city with the Circle City in 2015, and has since then started more than 70 pilots in the circular economy.Amsterdam have pioneered a ‘learning by doing’ approach in the circular economy, which has been evaluated in 2017.

Circular economy
Amsterdam to be fully circular by 2050

 

Amsterdam is a hotspot for digital technology, circular design and lifetime extension

Digital technology, circular design and lifetime extension are the most important elements for circular employment in the AMA, and thus, form the distinctive feature of the circular economy in the AMA. Furthermore, in line with national trends, the urban centers throughout the AMA provide the largest number of enabling circular jobs, while core circular employment is located within the urban peripheries.You can read the full proposal here.

 

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Reading Schools Climate Change Summit 2018

RCAN

The annual UN Climate Conference, COP24 is taking place in Katowice, Poland. It started on the 2nd Dec and will finish on the 14th Dec. 190 countries are meeting at COP24 and must get results on action towards all countries’ Paris Agreement targets.

Teams of students from secondary schools across Reading, representing 15 countries from Fiji to USA, met in the Council Chambers on Wednesday 5th December to carry out their own talks on progress towards the Paris Agreement and try to negotiate raising ambition for more action.

Prof. Paul Williams from University of Reading addressed the children and emphasized the realities of global warming and human interference. Councillor Tony Page, lead member for Strategic Environment, said: “Climate change is a subject which young people rightly feel passionate about. The mock conference was opened by the Mayor of Reading, councillor Debs Edwards and children were asked to exchange ideas to tackle this global problem.

RCAN
Councillors and Professors at the Summit

What is happening on Climate Change around the world?

On 3rd Dec 2018, Sir David Attenborough said the below at the COP24

“Right now, we are facing a man-made disaster of global scale. Our greatest threat in thousands of years, Climate change. If we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon.”

The clear messages the students gave for everyone in the Council Chambers were on similar lines too:

  • the immediacy of the effects of climate change for every country in the world, the effects being especially hard-hitting for vulnerable countries
  • the complexity of decision-making and contradictions of policy-making, particularly where economic interests based on fossil fuels, and political reticence are taking precedence
  • the vital part that cooperation between countries can play in increasing momentum by helping to distribute finance, and to learn from great ideas that are already working elsewhere in the world.
RCAN
School students discussing Climate Change

What can we do locally about Climate Change?

The second part of the conference brought Local Action into sharp focus. The extent of the commitment to climate action by Local Government was strongly conveyed by Cllr Tony Page in his opening words and Chris Beales, Chair of the Reading Climate Change Partnership. He stressed the part that each individual has to play, and what students in particular can do to help galvanise others.

readingcan.org.uk
Chris Beales at Reading Schools Climate Change Summit 2018

“…schools are really influential parts of our community, if you pass on what you know about climate change to your fellow students, and teachers…and you all pass on to your friends and families…we can reach a lot of people. And this is such an important issue…we need you to pester, and jump up and down about this until we get it sorted.”  – Chris Beales

 

Sustainability experts from Reading Climate Change Partnership, Reading Council’s Sustainability Team and local organisations provided details of great local initiatives and ways for students to make a difference: from energy use in school, growing food, using green space differently through to signing up to a transport initiative or influencing recycling. Each school went away with at least one idea or ‘pledge’ for what they can do, and ICN will follow to make sure that the tools are in place for going about it.

Our huge thanks go to Reading Borough Council for hosting the event and Reading Climate Change Partnership for its support.

Participants and Contributors:

Schools: The Bulmershe School, Highdown School, Kendrick School, Prospect School, Waingels College.

Councillors: The Mayor of Reading Councillor Debs Edwards, Councillor Tony Page, Deputy Leader of the Council

Keynote: Professor Paul D Williams, Professor of Atmospheric Science in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, UK http://www.met.reading.ac.uk/~williams/ 

Workshop contributors: Nature Nurture, Reading Borough Council Sustainability Team, Reading Climate Change Partnership, Reading International Solidarity Centre, Reading 2050, Stuart Singleton-White COnsultant, University of Reading Dept of Environmental Science.

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Reading & Caversham Flood Scheme Drop in event on 6th December

photo

The Environment Agency is investigating options to reduce flood risk in north Reading and Lower Caversham.

Flooding in this area affects homes, businesses, utilities and a number of busy roads for long periods of time. We have been investigating a number of options, most of which include building flood walls and embankments.

The Environment Egency are inviting the residents to come to a drop-in on Thursday 6 December from 2.30pm to 7.30pm

Caversham Baptist Church, South Street, Caversham, Reading, RG4 8HY

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Reading Schools’ Climate Conference – 5th December 2018

Photo

190 countries will meet in Katowice, Poland in December for the annual UN Climate Conference, COP24 and it must get results on action towards all countries’ Paris Agreement targets.

Teams of students from six local secondary schools will also meet on 5th December to carry out their own debate on progress towards the Paris Agreement and try to negotiate raising ambition for more action.

They will represent 14 different countries from Fiji to the USA. As in the real COP24, the country teams will have a significant challenge as a summary produced by the organisers, InterClimate Network, shows that progress towards Paris targets has been slower than the world needs.

 

 

In the second part of the afternoon, local sustainability leaders and active organisations will work with students in mini-workshops linked directly to RCAN’s themes. We want students to be encouraged to generate their own pledges and inspired to take on their own climate action back at school.

Thanks go to the Mayor of Reading and Reading Borough Council for hosting this event and to Reading Climate Change Partnership and RBC’s Sustainability Team for their active support.

 

School Countries
The Bulmershe School Bangladesh, Indonesia and Australia
Highdown School Fiji and USA
Kendrick School EU/Poland, India and Nigeria
Maiden Erlegh School in Reading Cuba and UK
Prospect School Kenya and China
Waingels College Brazil and Russia
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IPCC Special Report 15 – Global warming of 1.5degC

Graph

The IPCC SR15 was released on 8 October 2018 with the strong messages that we have only 12 years to limit global warming to 1.5 degC.

“The report highlights a number of climate change impacts that could be avoided by limiting global warming to 1.5ºC compared to 2ºC, or more. For instance, by 2100, global sea level rise would be 10 cm lower with global warming of 1.5°C compared with 2°C. The likelihood of an Arctic Ocean free of sea ice in summer would be once per century with global warming of 1.5°C, compared with at least once per decade with 2°C. Coral reefs would decline by 70-90 percent with global warming of 1.5°C, whereas virtually all (> 99 percent) would be lost with 2ºC.” – IPCC SR15 press release

Consequences

Graph
Figure from the IPCC SR15 Report, page 13

 

Particular concerns for us in Reading, from those issues highlighted, include:

  • Flooding
  • Crop yields – with impacts on food availability / cost
  • Extreme heat – with potential for heat-related deaths
  • Knock on effects from other parts of the world that are exposed to more of highlighted risks

Notice that global temperatures have already risen by 1 degC, and we are already seeing the extreme weather events associated with this level of warming.

Mitigation pathways

graph
Figure from the IPCC SR15 Report, page 6

 

It is sobering to notice that our current trajectory is to hit 1.5 degC by 2040. It doesn’t have to be that way though, and SR15 details how we can reduce emissions to meet the 1.5 degC target.

graph
Figure from the IPCC SR15 Report, page 6

 

Reflecting on this graph: there is a massive job that we need to do…not least to fundamentally change the political and economic focus towards tackling this.

  • Happily we have a start with the Zero Carbon Reading work that Reading Borough Council have done
  • There is reason to be optimistic about the UK (see Emissions pages (chrisbeales.net)) if we can regain our focus
  • Whatever happens though we need to get ready to adapt to the changing climate…and the less we do to cut emissions, the harder this is going to be.

 

Chris Beales, RCCP Chair, Oct 2018